A millionaire boy encounters another boy who looks just like him living on the streets, wearing dirty, tattered clothes, and decides to take him home and introduce him to his mother. Look, mom, he’s just like me. When she turns around and sees the two of them together, she falls to her knees, weeping. I knew it! What she reveals will leave you speechless. But how is this possible? You… you look just like me! Ashton exclaimed, his voice cracking with surprise as he stared at the boy in front of him. The young millionaire blinked several times, trying to believe what he was seeing.
There, just a few steps away, stood an identical boy. They had the same deep blue eyes, the same delicate features, the same golden hue in their straight hair. For a moment, Ashton wondered if he was looking at a mirror.
But no. It was real. The boy standing in front of him was also watching him, frozen, as if he were seeing a ghost.
The similarity was absurd, frightening, inexplicable. However, while their features were identical, something screamed the difference between them. Ashton looked more closely at the boy and noticed the dirty and torn clothes, the disheveled hair and the sunburnt skin, weathered by life on the streets.
The scent was different, too. While the young millionaire exuded an imported perfume, the boy in front of him carried the strong odor of abandonment and daily struggle. For a few minutes, the two just stared at each other, as if time had stopped.
Then, cautiously, Ashton took a step forward. The street boy instinctively recoiled slightly, but was stopped by the young millionaire’s gentle voice. There’s no need to be afraid.
I won’t hurt you, Ashton said, trying to convey confidence. The street boy remained silent for a moment. His eyes showed distrust.
Ashton, curious and kind, asked, What’s your name? For a few seconds, the answer didn’t come. Until, in a hoarse and quiet voice, the boy finally said, Luke, my name is Luke. A radiant smile spread across Ashton’s face.
He extended his hand, a gesture that carried a rare sincerity. I’m Ashton. Nice to meet you, Luke, he said enthusiastically.
Luke looked at the outstretched hand, hesitant. No one usually greeted him. It wasn’t common to receive a smile, let alone a gesture of friendship.
Children usually avoided him, calling him dirty, smelly. But Ashton didn’t seem to care about the clothes he wore, nor about his smell. After a moment of surprise, Luke extended his hand as well, accepting the greeting.
Feeling the handshake, Ashton felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if that boy was part of his life in some inexplicable way. Where do you live? Ashton asked, eager to know more. Luke opened his mouth to reply, but there wasn’t time.
A female voice, authoritative and worried, echoed through the street. Ashton, where are you? Penelope, the boy’s mother, called out. The little millionaire smiled excitedly.
Come on, Luke, my mother needs to meet you. She’ll be shocked when she sees how much we look alike, he said, turning to call Luke. But when he heard footsteps approaching, the street boy panicked.
Without thinking, he turned and dashed down the street. Wait, don’t go! Ashton shouted, running a few steps, but it was too late. Luke disappeared into the alleys.
In the next moment, Penelope arrived, her face etched with worry. She found her son on the sidewalk, his eyes fixed in the direction Luke had vanished. My God, Ashton, I’ve been looking for you everywhere, she said, breathless.
Ashton turned, his heart still racing. I just came outside to get some air, Mom, he replied, trying to explain. You know I don’t like you going out into the street alone, Penelope scolded, adjusting her son’s small jacket.
I didn’t go to the street. I just stayed here on the sidewalk, the boy assured her. Penelope took a deep breath, relenting.
All right, but let’s go inside. It’s time to cut the cake and sing Happy Birthday. Your father is waiting.
Ashton grimaced. Do I really have to go? He asked reluctantly. Of course you do, dear.
It’s your father’s birthday. Penelope replied, trying to smile. The truth was that Ashton, despite being very young, already harbored unfavorable feelings towards his father.
An invisible wall existed between them, built on distrust and disappointment. Still, not wanting to upset his mother, the boy accompanied her back to the party hall, but before entering, he discreetly turned to the street, looking for any sign of Luke. As they walked, Penelope commented, Was there someone else outside? I thought I heard you talking to someone before I found you.
Ashton opened his mouth to tell her about the extraordinary encounter, but he was interrupted. Finally, where have you been? Everyone’s waiting, said Afonso, Ashton’s father, appearing before them with a frown. The little boy just lowered his head, swallowing the urge to tell what had happened.
And so, the party continued. Forced smiles, automatic applause, camera flashes. Ashton participated in everything mechanically, but his mind was far away, traveling back to the magical moment when he met Luke.
That boy so similar, yet so different from him. Later, back at the mansion, Ashton walked through the luxurious hallways to his room. The setting was every child’s dream, video games, tablets, and toys scattered everywhere.
He collapsed onto the plush bed, clutching a pillow and staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. The image of Luke wouldn’t leave his head. How could someone so like him exist? Where did he live? Why were his clothes so dirty and torn like that? Meanwhile, miles away, Luke huddled on a piece of cardboard on the cold sidewalk of an alley.
His eyes were fixed on the starry sky, but his mind was stuck on that strange encounter. How could there be another just like him? A boy who had everything, while he had nothing. And even without knowing it, the two boys shared from that day on, the same thought.